As I wrote in the previous post, I believe I am satisfied with the number and objectives of each phase of this method to resolve sieges for my campaign. Based on Vauban's own timetable, I compacted events slightly in some areas, and expanded them in others, to better the flow of what a player is trying to accomplish during a campaign turn.
Here is Vauban's published time table:
To invest the fortress, collect stores and construct the lines of circumvallation and contravallation - 9 days
To open the trenches and to reach the covered way - 9 days
To capture the covered way - 4 days
To cross the ditch to reach the demi-lune - 3 days
To create a breach by battery or mining - 4 days
To capture the demi-lune - 3 days
To cross the main ditch - 4 days
To site forward batteries and breach the main defences - 4 days
To capture the breach and flanking positions - 2 days
To accept the capitulation of the garrison - 2 days
To allow for unexpected delays - 4 days
Total time allowed = 48 days
Of course, I am sure this was not a "set in stone" factor, but more of a general guideline of expectations. Also, this assumes a certain amount of defenses present at a given location, namely one or more demi-lunes (ravelin), but makes no mention of the well defended citadel that many fortified cities possessed.
In my campaign, the most well defended locations do have a citadel, and thus my phases below account for that. In fact, the below listing would be for the two most well defended fortress types (out of five) that are in the campaign. Each player has one of the best, and may have a couple of forts of the type slightly less defended, with a preponderance of poorly fortified locations.
Siege Phases for Campaign
0: Gather supplies and construct lines of circumvallation and contravallation.
1: Complete the 2nd parallel.
2: Complete the 3rd Parallel
3: Breach the demi-lune
4: Capture demi-lune and site the forward batteries.
5: Breach main defenses.
6: Breach flanking positions.
7a: Receive surrender of garrison.
7b: Site batteries to bombard citadel.
8: Breach Citadel.
9: Receive surrender of citadel garrison.
(note: I am likely going to add another phase "breach hornworks/outerworks" to this list, between phases 4 and 5 as lesser fortresses did not have these extensively)
These phases are not strictly limited to single week (campaign turn) durations, but may span more than one week or, due to felicitous events for the besieger, more than one phase may be accomplished in a single turn.
Lesser fortifications will have fewer phases for the besieger to fulfill, specifically with the smallest fortress lacking not only a citadel but also the demi-lunes, for example.
More to come, of course. Also, I am open to questions, comments, and criticisms, so feel free to comment below.
Right. With this and it looks good.
ReplyDeleteMost of what I want to do is sorted, now I need to finalize actions, phase results, and the intensity of the modifiers (should they each be smallish like -3 to +3 or large, including +7 and greater).
ReplyDelete